Other adjectives (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Other adjectives - Comparisons
Understanding comparisons in Spanish
When you want to compare things in Spanish, there are specific patterns you need to follow. Comparisons help you express relationships between people, objects, or ideas, whether you're saying something is better, worse, or the same as something else.
Mastering Spanish comparisons is essential for expressing preferences, making evaluations, and describing differences between things in everyday conversation.
The comparative
The comparative form allows you to compare two things directly. In Spanish, there are three main ways to make comparisons:
Making "more than" comparisons
Use the pattern: más + adjective + que This translates to "more... than" in English.
Making "less than" comparisons
Use the pattern: menos + adjective + que This translates to "less... than" in English.
Making "as... as" comparisons
Use the pattern: tan + adjective + como This translates to "as... as" in English.
Agreement is crucial: The adjective must agree with the noun it describes, just like other Spanish adjectives. This is a common mistake that students often make when focusing on the comparison patterns.
Worked Example: Basic Comparisons
- La música es más interesante que el deporte (Music is more interesting than sport)
- Pablo es menos alto que su hermano (Pablo is shorter/less tall than his brother)
- Mi habitación es tan pequeña como la tuya (My bedroom is as small as yours)
Notice how each adjective agrees with its noun: interesante (feminine singular), alto (masculine singular), pequeña (feminine singular).
The superlative
The superlative form is used when comparing more than two things to express "the most" or "the least."
Formation pattern
- el/la/los/las + más + adjective = the most...
- el/la/los/las + menos + adjective = the least...
The definite article (el/la/los/las) and the adjective both need to agree with the noun being described. This double agreement is essential for correct Spanish grammar.
Worked Example: Superlatives
- Buenos Aires es la ciudad más grande de Argentina (Buenos Aires is the biggest city in Argentina)
- Esta casa es la menos cara del pueblo (This house is the least expensive in the village)
Note the agreement: la ciudad (feminine) → la más grande, la casa (feminine) → la menos cara
Irregular comparative and superlative forms
Some common adjectives have irregular forms that don't follow the standard patterns. These must be memorised:
Critical Grammar Point: Don't try to use "más bueno" or "más malo" - these are incorrect! Always use the irregular forms "mejor" and "peor" instead.
| English | Spanish | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| good | bueno | mejor | el/la mejor, los/las mejores |
| bad | malo | peor | el/la peor, los/las peores |
Worked Example: Irregular Forms
- Este hotel es el mejor de la región (This hotel is the best in the region)
- Los restaurantes de aquí son los peores (The restaurants here are the worst)
Notice: mejor and peor don't change for gender, but they do change for number (mejores/peores).
Using -ísimo for emphasis
To add strong emphasis to an adjective (meaning "very" or "extremely"), you can add the suffix -ísimo to the end of the adjective. This creates a superlative of intensity rather than comparison.
How it works
Remove any final vowel from the adjective and add -ísimo (which changes to agree with the noun: -ísimo/-ísima/-ísimos/-ísimas).
The -ísimo suffix is very common in spoken Spanish and shows strong emotion or opinion. It's much more emphatic than just saying "muy + adjective."
Worked Example: -ísimo Emphasis
- La excursión es carísima (The trip is very expensive)
- El libro es malísimo (The book is very bad)
- La comida es buenísima (The food is really good)
Formation process: caro → car + ísima = carísima (agreeing with la excursión)
Useful vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| más | more |
| menos | less |
| que | than |
| tan | as |
| como | as/like |
| mejor | better/best |
| peor | worse/worst |
| carísimo/a | very expensive |
| malísimo/a | very bad |
| buenísimo/a | very good |
Grammar tips
Essential Rules to Remember:
- Agreement is crucial: Always ensure your adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe
- Word order matters: In superlatives, the definite article comes before "más" or "menos"
- Irregular forms: Don't try to use "más bueno" or "más malo" - use "mejor" and "peor" instead
- Emphasis with -ísimo: This suffix is very common in spoken Spanish and shows strong emotion or opinion
Translation practice
Practice Exercises
Spanish to English:
- Mi hermana es más divertida que mi hermano
- Este es el restaurante más caro de la ciudad
English to Spanish: 3. This book is less interesting than that film 4. She is the tallest girl in the class
Answers:
- My sister is more fun than my brother
- This is the most expensive restaurant in the city
- Este libro es menos interesante que esa película
- Ella es la chica más alta de la clase
Key Points to Remember:
- Use más + adjective + que for "more than" comparisons
- Use menos + adjective + que for "less than" comparisons
- Use tan + adjective + como for "as...as" comparisons
- Superlatives need the definite article: el/la/los/las + más/menos + adjective
- Learn the irregular forms: bueno → mejor → el mejor and malo → peor → el peor
- Add -ísimo to adjectives for strong emphasis, remembering to make it agree with the noun